Deccan Chronicle 06.04.2010

HMDA prepares to speed up work

Hyderabad, April 5: The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), formerly Huda, has finally won a legal battle over Jayabheri Properties owned by actor Murali Mohan in the Supreme Court. Decks have now been cleared for the construction of Outer Ring Road in the Patancheru-Narsingi-Shamshabad-Bo-nguluru-Peddammberpet stretch. The HMDA commissioner, Mr B.P. Acharya, while congratulating the officials, has asked them to speed up the works.

The controversy began in 2005-06 when Murali Mohan had objected to the decision of the ORR alignment committee alleging that the civic body violated environmental rules to destroy a water body near Narsingi for the construction of ORR. The then ORR project director, Mr Peeyush Kumar, who is now the collector of Krishna district, had made it clear that there was no natural water body in Narsingi area. The ORR officials argued that Jayabheri Properties was trying to avoid land acquisition in nearby area by raising the issue of water body.

With the filing of cases, court had ordered an inquiry by the Central Water Commission, which in turn identified that there was indeed a water body at the location. Huda officials however said the water body was created to stop the ORR project. The government even suspended an irrigation official who had allegedly favoured Jayabheri by saying that a “private waterbody” existed. The HMDA won the case in the High Court and the petitioner then filed an SLP in Supreme Court.